MANHATTAN, Kan. (RFD-TV) — Strengthening the U.S. beef industry remains a top priority as the national cattle herd continues to sit at historically low levels. A new financial incentive — the restoration of 100 percent bonus depreciation under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)— is now giving ranchers a fresh opportunity to rebuild their herds.
Roger McEowen with Kansas’ Washburn University School of Law, joined us on Thursday’s Market Day Report to discuss what the policy means for cattle producers and how they can take advantage of the renewed tax provision.
In his interview with RFD-TV News, McEowen outlined how the restoration of bonus depreciation could help ranchers recover costs more quickly, particularly as they invest in heifer retention and herd expansion. He also shared considerations producers should keep in mind when planning herd growth strategies and long-term tax management.
Before wrapping up, McEowen weighed in on ongoing trade talks between the U.S. and China, noting that President Trump’s recent announcement of increased Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products — including soybeans — could have meaningful implications for American farmers once more details are finalized.
“That’s good for soybean farmers. It’s going to be good for the soybean market, in general. So we’ll see what happens going forward, but we’ve got an immediate commitment to buy 12 million [metric tons of soybeans].” McEowen said. “Now the downside of that, a skeptic would say, ‘Yeah, China was going to buy that all along. They just waited until the market went down, and they bought the 12 million on the cheap.’ But we did get some other concessions for that with respect to minerals and the like, so all in all, a pretty good deal.”
